1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image recording method and apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium. The term .cent.image recording apparatus" covers a printer apparatus, a copying apparatus, an electronic typewriter, etc.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, with the rapid advance of the information industry, various information processing systems have been developed and image recording apparatuses suited for the respective information processing systems have been developed.
One of the image recording apparatuses is a thermosensitive transfer recording apparatus. This apparatus effects recording on a recording sheet by the use of an ink ribbon comprising a ribbon-like back-up member having applied thereto heat-meltable ink having a colorant dispersed in a heat-meltable binder
That is, the ink ribbon is superposed on the recording sheet so that the heat-meltable ink layer thereof contacts with the recording sheet, and the ink ribbon and the recording sheet are conveyed between a thermal head and a platen, and pulse-like beat conforming to an image signal is applied to the back-up member side of the ink ribbon by the thermal head and at the same time, the two are urged against each other to transfer the molten ink to the recording sheet, thereby recording on the recording sheet an ink image conforming to the application of the heat.
Such image recording apparatus has recently been used widely because of its compactness, light weight and noise-free operation as well as its capability of accomplishing recording on plain paper.
However, the conventional thermosensitive transfer recording apparatus is not free of problems.
The conventional thermosensitive transfer recording apparatus suffers from a problem that the transfer recording performance, namely, the quality of image, is greatly affected by the degree of smoothness of the surface of the recording sheet and good image recording can be accomplished on recording sheets of a high degree of smoothness, but the quality of images recorded is deteriorated in the case of recording sheets of a low degree of smoothness.
Also, in the conventional thermosensitive transfer recording apparatus, when a polychromatic image is to be obtained, it is necessary to repeat transfer and superpose colors one upon another. This leads to the necessity of providing a plurality of thermal heads or causing the recording sheet to effect complicated movement such as stoppage and reverse feeding, and this in turn leads to the problem that not only color misregistration is unavoidable, but also the entire apparatus becomes bulky and complex.
So, the applicant has invented an image recording method and a transfer recording medium which eliminate the above-noted problems peculiar to the conventional image recording apparatus and which can record an image of high quality even on a recording medium of a low degree of surface smoothness and which, when applied to polychromatic recording, can obtain a multi-colored (full-colored) image without causing the recording medium to effect complicated movement. The applicant claimed patents for these inventions by filing Japanese Application Pat. No. 60-120080 (filed on June 3, 1985), Japanese Application Pat. No. 60-120081 (filed on June 3, 1985), Japanese Application Pat. No. 60-131411 (filed on June 17, 1985), Japanese Application Pat. No. 60-134831 (filed on June 20, 1985), Japanese Application Pat. No. 60-150597 (filed on July 9, 1985), Japanese Application Pat. No. 60-199926 (filed on Sept. 10, 1985) and Japanese Application Pat. No. 60-250884 (filed on Nov. 11, 1985) in Japan. Further, claiming priority based on these Japanese patent applications, the applicant filed a U.S. application (Ser. No. 869,689, filed on June 2, 1986 in U.S.) and a European application (No. 86107540.6, filed on June 3, 1986 in Europe).
The present invention which will hereinafter be described a further development of the inventions covered by the aforementioned applicant's Japanese applications, U.S. application and European application. The present invention which will hereinafter be described permits the image recording method and apparatus and the transfer recording medium disclosed in the specifications of the aforementioned applications to be suitably applied thereto.